Mr. Speaker, in a democracy, there are fundamental principles that distinguish true democratic regimes from states that merely claim to be democratic. The rule of law is based on rules, values and principles that are non-negotiable.
The current mood among certain political parties, thinkers and columnists seems to be more about vengeance in the justice system than true justice. It is sometimes more about seeking likes on social media than creating social peace, showing compassion and being thorough. The current mood criticizes dialogue, moderation and the search for balance. Looking at things in black or white pays off for some. Being nuanced and thoughtful is seen as an expression of weakness in society. I do not subscribe to that ideology. As I often say, I support democracy, justice and the law.
For years, the Conservative Party has been capitalizing on fear and criticism of judicial institutions. Its leader even makes dubious connections and disturbing conflations about the separation of powers. It is therefore no surprise that we are seeing the Conservative Party's desire to inject another dose of populism into our institutions with Bill C‑242.
The Bloc Québécois is committed to a number of principles. First and foremost, it believes in the presumption of innocence, the foundation of our justice system, which holds that all people are considered innocent until proven guilty. This principle is clearly set out in our charters, in paragraph 11(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and in section 33 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, or the Quebec charter. Section 33 states that “Every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law.”
We must avoid any attempt to do otherwise at all costs. It is crucial that we not revert to a time when mob justice ruled, emotional outbursts held sway and justice was unfettered by clear, impartial and humane rules. Any breach, however small, could set a precedent and allow the risk of seeing our rule of law and justice system left violated and broken.
Democracy and the rule of law are based on a fragile balance between citizens' confidence in their institutions and the weight of popular will and reason. Our democracies are already under attack by harmful ideologies. All we have to do is look around us to see what is happening. Our responsibility as parliamentarians is to maintain this balance between respect for rights, confidence in institutions and public opinion. To do that, we need to be clear, we need to educate and we need to listen, not play petty populist games or use baseball analogies to talk about a subject as important as the law, justice and public safety. Our Conservative colleagues can keep repeating “three-strikes law” all they want, but it does not make this issue any less complex.
I would say to my colleagues in the official opposition that if they want clear and concrete proposals for fighting crime, they can adopt the Bloc Québécois's proposals. We propose creating a registry of criminal organizations, like the registry for terrorist organizations. This would make it easier to prove when a crime is committed for the benefit of a criminal organization. We also propose facilitating the seizure of assets by reversing the burden of proof to prevent the dissipation of assets when an individual belonging to organized crime is arrested. We also propose prohibiting criminal organizations from parading their insignia. Currently, criminal organizations parade with impunity and promote their organization. Finally, we propose creating a specific offence to criminalize the recruitment of young people to commit crimes. This new tactic has become the modus operandi of organized crime. It ruins lives and families. We must crack down harder on those who abuse our young people.
Understandably, the Bloc Québécois will vote against the Conservative Party's populist bill. We will always choose being constructive and democratic over being populists. Our commitment to democracy has always been at the heart of our national project. We will always be committed to the independence of our institutions.